A team of scientists from South Korea has created a new kind of soft robot made from liquid that can move, change shape, merge, and split—just like living cells.
Their research, published in Science Advances, shows how this futuristic robot could one day help with medical treatments, disaster recovery, and much more.
Living cells are amazing—they can bend, split, fuse with other cells, and even capture harmful materials.
For years, scientists have tried to make robots that behave like cells, but solid materials made it difficult to copy these flexible abilities.
To solve this, the research team built a liquid robot covered in a dense layer of hydrophobic particles—tiny particles that repel water.
These particles give the soft robot structure and protection while keeping the flexibility of liquid.
This means the robot can be squashed or dropped from high places and still return to its original shape without breaking, like a droplet of water.
This new robot has some mind-blowing abilities. Inspired by the liquid robot “T-1000” from the movie Terminator 2, it can:
- Squeeze through narrow metal bars
- Merge with other liquid robots
- Capture and move foreign objects
- Travel across water and solid surfaces
The team also showed that the robot can keep doing these tasks repeatedly and can be controlled using ultrasound, allowing researchers to guide its movement and speed.
Because it can move through tight spaces and change shape, this liquid robot could be very useful in the future. Some exciting possible uses include:
- Targeted drug delivery inside the human body, reaching hard-to-access areas
- Exploring disaster zones, such as collapsed buildings or areas with toxic chemicals
- Cleaning and chemical removal in tight or dangerous places
- Delivering nutrients or supplies in complex machinery or remote locations
One of the researchers, Hyobin Jeon, said their breakthrough came when they stopped thinking of the robot as a traditional droplet. Instead of using a ball-shaped liquid covered in particles (like a “liquid marble”), they coated an ice cube with particles and then let it melt. This method made the robot more stable and durable.
Professor Ho-Young Kim, one of the lead researchers, said they are now working on ways to control the robot’s shape using sound waves or electric fields. Another researcher, Professor Jeong-Yun Sun, added that they aim to expand the robot’s abilities for industrial use.
This next-generation liquid robot is a big step toward robots that move and behave like living things—flexible, adaptable, and ready for challenging environments.
